The objective of the work proposed is to develop an account of how we comprehend words and pictures, to clarify the roles of verbal, image-like, and conceptual representation in recognition, thought, and memory. Previous work of the investigator supports a model of representation that asserts that a single conceptual code, in addition to separate verbal and imaginal codes, underlies one's understanding of language and pictures. An alternative model that posits only two codes, verbal and imaginal, was not supported. The proposed experiments further test the two models and explore the comprehension of visual objects, speech, and written language. Procedures include measurements of the time required in different tasks to comprehend, make inferences about, translate into a second language, and retain drawings and written or spoken names of objects. Recall and recognition tests are used to assess memory. Experiments in four areas are planned: 1. Comprehension of words and pictures is studied when they are presented in a continuous sequence that mimicks the continuity of normal experience. 2. The time course of semantic interaction between two simultaneous items, believed to be necessary for scene analysis and reading, is examined. 3. The role of imaginal and verbal modes in long-term memory is studied by measuring recognition and free recall after tasks demanding different levels of processing. Retrieval strategies are compared. 4. A model of bilingual representation is tested. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to develop a model of lexical and pictorial comprehension, as a contribution to a broader theory of linguistic, imaginal, and abstract representation in memory and thought.